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UPenn

Admissions Statistics for UPenn Dental School Requirements

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Background Information

  • Location: Philadelphia, PA
  • Institution Type: Private
  • Campus Setting: Urban
  • Dental Doctoral Degree: Doctor of Dental Medicine
  • Mission Statement: “Foster a humanistic environment where each individual in our diverse community is valued, respected and empowered. Treat our patients with compassion and respect, and provide exceptional evidence-based care. Honor Penn Dental Medicine’s legacy through transformative initiatives to solve the complex problems of today and tomorrow. Shape the global dental profession by teaching evidence-based knowledge and providing opportunities to pursue individualized development for life-long learning. Promote interdisciplinary collaborations that accelerate innovation and scientific discovery to address unmet needs in health. Mentor exceptional leaders in education, research and oral health.”
  • Year Opened: 1878
  • Number of Months to Earn Degree: 45
  • Campus Housing Available: Yes
  • Class Size: 150
  • Term Type: Semester

Combined degrees offered:

B.A./B.S.
M.B.A.
M.P.H.
M.S.
Ph.D.
Other Degrees
  • M.S in Bioethics, Education, and Translational Research
  • Other degrees: M.S.E in bioengineering; J.D. (law)

International Dental Graduate Programs:

Traditional Predoctoral Program for IDGs
Advanced Standing Program for IDGs
Yes
Yes

Admissions Statistics: (2022 Applicant and Entering Class Data)

  • Mean Age of First-Time, First-Year Enrollees: 23

Acceptance Rates by Location:

Number of Applicants
Number of Enrollees
Enrollment Rate
Overall
2211
150
6.78%
In-State
133
14
10.53%
Out-State
1831
124
6.77%
International
247
12
4.86%

Class Breakdown by Residency:

Number of Enrollees
Percentage of Incoming Class
In-State
14
9.33%
Out-State
124
82.67%
International
12
8.00%

Academic Averages for Acceptance:

DAT Academic Average
DAT Perceptual Ability
Cumulative GPA
Science GPA
22.9
21.8
3.77
3.71

Range of Academic Averages for Acceptance:

5th Percentile of Enrollees
95th Percentile of Enrollees
DAT Academic Average
20
27
Cumulative GPA
3.49
3.99
Science GPA
3.33
4.00

Prerequisites

Preferred
Strongly Preferred
Required
Baccalaureate is:

Required Coursework:

Required Course
Credits (Semesters/Quarters)
Required Lab
Biology
2 semesters/3 quarters
Inorganic Chemistry
2 semesters/3 quarters
Organic Chemistry
2 semesters/3 quarters
Physics
2 semesters/3 quarters
Biochemistry
1 semesters/1 quarter
Mathematics
1 semesters/1 quarter
English Composition (speech, literature, humanities courses, freshman writing seminars, technical/business writing, and other writing intensive courses)
2 semesters/3 quarters
  • Recommended Courses Include: Anatomy, Cell Biology, Histology, Immunology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology/Genetics, Physiology, and Zoology

Community College Coursework and Advanced Placement Credit:

Prerequisites
Electives
AP Credit Accepted
Yes
Yes
Community College Coursework Accepted
Yes
Yes

Maximum number of Community College Credit Hours:

  •  60

Required Shadowing Hours:

  • Minimum of 100 hours prior to application submission, of which 50 must be in general dental practices

Letters of Recommendation: 

  • Option 1: Two letters from professors, preferably from the applicant’s major course of study. Science faculty is not required unless you are a science major.
  • Option 2: Committee letter

Dental Admissions Test Requirements:

Mandatory DAT
Canadian DAT Accepted?
Applicants Evaluated Before Official DAT Submission?
DAT Score Considered
Yes
Yes
Yes
Highest score in subject area is considered

Supplemental Information:

Participation in ADEA AADSAS
Required Supplemental Application
Supplemental Application Fee
Yes
Yes
Yes: $60 fee for all students

Interview Format

  • Not reported

Finances and Application Logistics

Financial Estimations for students starting Fall 2023:

Year
In-State Tuition
Out-State Tuition
Additional Fees
Estimated Living Expenses
D1
$86,448
$86,448
$28,784
$17,600
D2
$86,448
$86,448
$21,656
$15,840
D3
$86,448
$86,448
$26,772
$21,120
D4
$86,448
$86,448
$21,356
$15,840

University Offerings

1. Academic Offerings 

  • Pre-Dental Opportunities
    • Summer Enrichment Courses
      • Introduction to Dentistry Summer Program
    • Online Coursera courses
      • Introduction to Dental Medicine
      • The Oral Cavity: Portal to Health and Disease
  • Research
    • Summer Research Program allows students to experience basic and clinical dental research with a faculty advisor. Students work full time during the summer and continue during the academic year.
    • Honors Research Courses are offered
    • Students can directly reach out to faculty to participate in independent research
    • Research focuses include oral microbiology and virology, inflammation and immunity, tooth development, mucosal disease, salivary gland disease, and more. 

2. Clinical Experiences

  • Clinical Curriculum Overview
    • D1: Students are introduced to relevant medical and dental human biology concepts and begin preclinical courses in restorative dentistry at the Advanced Simulation Laboratory.
      •  Clinical rotations on oral medicine, periodontics, health promotion, and radiology
      • Assist D3 and D4 students on the clinic floor
    • D2: Continued preclinical work in the Advanced Simulation Laboratory. Clinical experiences in anesthesia, community health, endodontics, orthodontics, and periodontics. 
      •  Students begin to provide direct patient care in hygiene and operative dentistry. 
    • D3-D4: Students function as full-time comprehensive dental practitioners, utilizing combined knowledge from every dental specialty. 
  • Postdoctoral and Residency Programs
    • Graduate Dental Education programs:
      • Advanced Education in General Dentistry program
      • Certificates in:
        • Endodontics
        • Oral Medicine
        • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
        • Orthodontics
        • Pediatric Dentistry
        • Periodontics
        • Periodontics/Orthodontics 
        • Periodontics/Prosthodontics
        • Prosthodontics
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